Arsenal winger Charles Sagoe Jr has signed a new contract with the Gunners and immediately joined League One side Shrewsbury Town on loan for the 2024/25 season.

The 20-year-old, who joined Arsenal’s academy from Fulham in 2015, enjoyed a successful 2023/24 season. He made 16 appearances in all competitions for the academy, scoring three goals and providing 10 assists. He also made his first-team debut, starting in Arsenal’s 1-0 Carabao Cup win away to Brentford in September 2023.

Sagoe Jr was also named as a substitute in both Arsenal’s Premier League win against Burnley and their UEFA Champions League win against Sevilla in November 2023.

This loan move to Shrewsbury will be his second, having had a short-term loan spell with Swansea City last season. Despite making two substitute appearances shortly after joining the Swans, Sagoe Jr.’s progress stalled, and he was left on the bench or out of the squad entirely for the rest of his loan.

This lack of playing time was undoubtedly frustrating for the young player, who had impressed for Arsenal’s u21s and broken through to the fringes of the Arsenal first team. It was clear that Sagoe Jr. deserved more opportunities than Swansea afforded him, and by the end of the season, he had ironically played more minutes for Arsenal’s first team than his loan club.

Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst expressed his delight at securing Sagoe Jr’s signature, stating, “I’m really pleased to get Charles Sagoe Junior on board because I think we have been lacking options in that wide area.

“He is a player that we have been after for some time – we were interested in him during the January window.

“And this summer he went away on tour with Arsenal so we’ve had to be patient to get him.

“I think the fact we have been interested in him for some time has helped our case in getting the deal over the line.

“Now we need to get him up to speed because his pre-season has been a little bit different due to him going away with Arsenal.

“He has had some game time but not loads – I think he has acknowledged that himself.

“But we will do all we can to get him up to speed as quickly as possible – whether that is off the bench or whether that is starting games and seeing how long he can go for.

“We are delighted to get him in.”

Hopefully, the move to League One will provide Sagoe Jr. with the regular playing time he needs to develop further in the 2024/25 season.

Additionally, with his deal previously due to expire next season, Arsenal have now protected their investment should they decide to sell him on.